Module 3: Professionalism and Gifts to Physicians from Industry

Release date: March 30, 2004
Renewal date: January 30, 2007
Expiration date: January 30, 2009

Module 3: Professionalism and Gifts to Physicians from Industry.
Produced by American Medical Association, 2003.

This module explores the impact of gifts on physicians' behavior, the privileges and obligations of physicians, the potential for conflict between gifts and obligations, and related professional codes and regulations.

Accreditation/designation statements
Disclosure information

To receive a certificate of credit for this module, you must explore the entire module and successfully complete the test at the end of the module.

This module includes four topics:

Topic 1: Research on the Effects of Gifts to Physicians

Topic 2: Professionalism: Physicians' Obligations and Privileges

Topic 3: Conflicts between Professional Obligations and Personal Gifts

Topic 4: Written Standards Related to Professionalism and Gifts to Physicians

Accreditation/Designation Statements

The American Medical Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The American Medical Association designates this activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Disclosure of Conflict of Interest:

There are no relevant financial relationships to disclose. The following information is provided about the authors:

Authors:
Beverley D. Rowley, PhD, has been in medical education for over 30 years and on the faculty at two medical schools with experience in undergraduate, graduate, and continuing medical education. Her training in medical behavioral science has led to research in understanding physician's definitions of professionalism and working conditions for residents and medical students. Before starting her own consulting company, she was Director of Medical Education for a large teaching hospital in Arizona with responsibility for medical education, research and the library. Dr. Rowley also coordinated the development of the AMA-FREIDA system for the AMA.

R. Van Harrison, PhD, is a Professor of Medical Education and Director of the Office of Continuing Medical Education at the University of Michigan Medical School. His training as a social psychologist emphasized individual behavior in organizational settings. A major interest is the evaluation and improvement of physician performance in the delivery of healthcare, including the developing clinical guidelines, developing measures of clinical performance, and designing changes at the individual and organizational levels to improve care. He has also extensively studied the operation of continuing medical education units at medical schools in the U.S. and Canada.

Andrew M. Thomas, MD, MBA, is an actively practicing general internist on the faculty of the Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor within the Division of General Internal Medicine. Beyond his inpatient and outpatient clinical responsibilities, Dr. Thomas is actively involved in medical student/resident education, medical education administration as Assistant Dean for Graduate Medical Education, and medical administration. Dr. Thomas's areas of education focus of ethics, socioeconomics and general clinical education. From 1997-1999, Dr. Thomas served as the Resident Trustee on the American Medical Association (AMA) Board of Trustees.

Reviewers for this module included AMA staff and Kenneth V. Iserson, MD, MBA, Director, Arizona Bioethics Program, University of Arizona.

In collaboration with the Working Group for the Communication of Ethical Guidelines on Gifts to Physicians from Industry and its Educational Advisory Committee chaired by R. Van Harrison, PhD, University of Michigan School of Medicine. Information about the Working Group.

Project Manager: Beverley D. Rowley, PhD, Medical Education and Research Associates, Inc., Tempe, Arizona

Off-Label Usage:

The content of this CME publication does not contain discussion of off-label uses.

Module 3: Professionalism and Gifts to Physicians from Industry

Topic 1: Research on the Effects of Gifts to Physicians

Topic 2: Professionalism: Physicians' Obligations and Privileges

Topic 3: Conflicts between Professional Obligations and Personal Gifts

Topic 4: Written Standards Related to Professionalism and Gifts to Physicians

Appendix